Hope Arriving
by Hope'sFace
Summary: This is my first fan fiction. I do not own Criminal Minds or any of the characters besides Hope A. Bering. This is just an introduction story to bring in a new character and will cover the first few months that she is on the team. It will be composed of cases with one shots in-between. Please feel free to comment but keep it clean and constructive. Blessings-Hope'sFace.
1. Prologue

_**Just a disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds just Hope A. Bering. Please feel free to review! **_

An empty house can be viewed two ways:

An empty house can be seen as a new beginning. Any couple just starting out in life will tell you that finding a house is a huge step into independence and once that perfect place is found it can finally be made into a home. An empty house can be filled with happiness, joy, and love.

However, for some, an empty house becomes a reminder of loss. For whatever reason, life has become hard and circumstances have forced the owner to move on before their time. What was once a home, filled with love and peace, has become an unbearable tomb, holding memories but providing no comfort.

Unfortunately, it was the later view that Hope A. Bering was taking. She was moving away today, leaving the city that had been her home for a new place. But that house was a reminder of why she was leaving. What had once been a home to a happy couple became merely a place to sleep in a short time. She was relieved that she was leaving; it meant a new start for her. She was running and she knew it, but she didn't know how else to move on.

There was one more box to finish packing, a few more items to take off the walls. The cross that her parents had presented her with when she and Josiah had moved in, several different pictures: their wedding picture, a picture with her and her brothers, and two group pictures. The first was she and Josiah with many of their mutual friends and the second was she and the BAU team with a group of children that they had just rescued.

She was admittedly nervous, the BAU team was nice enough when they came and helped her two years ago, but actually working with them, as a team member was a different story. She decided a head of time that she wouldn't tell them right away about Josiah or the circumstances surrounding his death. Eight months later she was still struggling emotionally and she didn't want them to think she was incapable of doing the job.

Finally she closed up the last box and loaded it into her car. She came back up to the door and after looking into the empty house one last time she closed it, got into her car and drove away, never once looking back.

_**A huge shout out goes to my beta crazykelly101. I highly recommend you all to read her story Here I Go; it is an amazing CM fan fiction. Chapters 21 and 22 of her story relate the case that Hope first works with the BAU team, check it out!**_

_**Hope you all are enjoying! Please leave a review! –Blessings, Hope'sFace.**_


	2. Chapter 1

Meeting the Team

It was a clear, warm, and moonlight night. Perfect for an outdoor barbeque. The venue was the backyard of the Rossi mansion and the awesome food was the genius of Derek Morgan and Aaron Hotchner. Jack, Hotchner's son and Henry, JJ's boy were playing soccer to one side of the fenced yard. JJ and Penelope Garcia were laughing over their antics while Dr. Spencer Reid and David Rossi were discussing the merits of a new fingerprinting program the Bureau had just adopted. Any outsider who considered the BAU team would mistake them for a close-knit, albeit mismatched, family.

The team was gathered that evening to meet their newest member, who had yet to arrive. They all had meet the agent once before, they had helped her on a case two years back. They had been impressed with her then but knew so little about her outside of those few days they spent in Anchorage. SSA Lindsay Parker had replaced Prentiss but Strauss believed they needed another team member. The search had taken them back to Hope. Hotch realized the big change that she was making, coming to Quantico from Alaska and wanted to make the transition easier for her. So, with that in mind, he arranged for an outdoor party at Agent Rossi's to take place at seven-thirty, Friday night, with no other memo other than to meet and get to know the newest member of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, SSA Hope A. Bering.

The air was filled with excitement and apprehension. Every member of the team remembered Agent Bering; she was hard to forget. They wanted to get to know her better and they all hoped that she would be good at the job. It was very nerve racking having a new team mate come in. Little did they know they were not the only ones who were nervous.

...

SSA Hope A. Bering had a lot of things going through her mind as she made her way to the home of David Rossi. The last year of her life had been crazy and filled with so many uncertainties she hoped that this new job would be just the thing to help her reorient her life. She knew that applying for this job had been a good move and she was at peace with taking it. That still didn't change the fact that she was experiencing so many adjustments in her life and that she was facing them more or less by herself. She was a small town girl from a big state, and a family-focused woman who had made the choice to move 4,283.2 miles away from her parents and brothers. She remembered that she was acting in obedience to the call that God had placed on her life to bring justice to those who couldn't find it themselves. But that didn't mean obedience didn't come without sacrifice.

Her GPS told her to make one last right, leading her to the end of the street and a huge mansion. She parked her 1999 Suburban, took a deep breath, and let out a quick prayer that the night would go over smoothly. Her feet led her to the front door, and she rang the bell. The door opened to reveal Agent Rossi, just as Hope had remembered him.

"Agent Rossi, so good to see you again," Hope began, with a cheery note.

" And it is very nice to see you again as well," Rossi said with equal pleasure. "Come inside, everyone is anxious to see you." And with that, Hope stepped across the threshold into her new life.

For once the profiler was at a loss. Not knowing too much of her background didn't help matters, but this young woman was something of a puzzle. At five foot four inches this girl at first glance did not seem very formidable. Then he looked again. She carried herself with confidence, her dark blue eyes conveying wisdom beyond her years. She stood tall, obviously no stranger to skepticism, but had an air of self-esteem that said she didn't take crap and she could probably give it just as easily. Yet at the same time she exuded a peaceful continence that would go a long way in breaking down the team's doubts. Her respectful addresses told him that she had a good upbringing. She spoke like a well-educated person, intelligent, but not arrogant. Yes, she would be a good fit into the family.

…

Rossi and Hope walked through the house and into the backyard and were instantly greeted with intense stares. For a moment everyone seemed to freeze and Hope took it all in. "_This is it," _she thought to herself. She let up another silent prayer before addressing the dark haired man in front of her who had stepped forward to make the first move.

"Hello Hope," Agent Hotchner began, "thank you for coming," he said with a welcoming smile.

"Agent Hotchner," she started to say…

"Hotch or Hotchner will be fine, Hope," he interrupted.

"Hotch, thank you for arranging this," she said, gesturing to the setup in the yard.

"Not a problem, come on everyone wants to get reacquainted."

The said team had been watching this exchange closely, as if trying to form a profile on their newest member. Penelope took it upon herself to be the first one to step forward as she was the only team member to have not actually met Agent Bering in person.

" Hi Hope, I'm Penelope Garcia," said the bubbly blonde. "Although I will answer to pretty much anything in the office. I am the Technical Analyst for the group. And may I just say I am very pleased to have another girl on the team."

She received a genuine, friendly smile for her efforts and JJ chose to follow her friend's lead welcoming Hope to Washington D.C. and introduced her to Henry. Jack also chose this time to introduce himself by kicking the soccer ball to Henry, which missed its target by a few feet and nearly hit Hope in the face. Hope reacted just in time and caught the ball. She smiled down at Jack and chatted with him for a few moments.

"You have a pretty strong kick there, I'll bet you make quite a few goals on the field," she exclaimed to the young boy. He was staring at her like he half-expected her to yell at him and she didn't want him to be scared of her.

"Yeah, I get the ball in sometimes," he said a little shyly. "But I need to work on passing, sometimes I hog the ball," Jack added matter-of-factly.

"Do you know what the great thing about sharing is Jack," Hope asked? When he shook his head no she explained, "Sharing doesn't mean you lose out on a moment, it just means that you include others in that moment. When you share you help other people feel good about themselves and in that you feel good as well." The whole team had watched this exchange. They were impressed as none of them had really thought to describe sharing like that to Jack. Also, where most adults would have gotten mad at him for missing his target, she treated it as they would have and used the moment to connect a little better to the child she had just met.

After this she turned her attention to the man standing next to JJ. She could have mistaken him for Special Forces he was that built. Tan, about average height, tough looking with a playboy smile, Derek Morgan reminded her of both her brothers. He offered her his hand and looked her in the eye. Knowing what he expected she gave him a strong, brief handshake with direct eye contact conveying confidence and respect that would be required among the fellow agents. It was then that he offered her a sincere smile.

Agent Spencer Reid was another story altogether. He had been the youngest person on the team and was very much the "little brother" of the group. Hope noticed this and approached him as her equal. She could see instantly that he was very smart and she knew of him from one of the sessions she had attended while at her training in Quantico. He wasn't cold in his greeting but rather reserved. She understood; eldest brother was much the same way. Hope knew that she just needed to find something in common with Reid in order to get to know him. She gave him a warm smile when she approached him, hoping to ease his discomfort.

Once the introductions were made the large group settled into the picnic table to begin their dinner. The new agent could see that years of working together made for an easy, family-like atmosphere. She had an earnest desire to contribute to that. While everyone was talking and beginning to dig in, she silently bowed her head to bless her food. This habit did not go unnoticed but no one spoke out against it. Soon they settled into a conversation, taking turns asking questions of the new kid according to their respective interests.

"So, Hope," started Derek, "how did you get your start in law enforcement?" Derek knew that Hope would probably be his partner during cases and he wanted to know what she was capable of.

"I started out as a state trooper. I was able to enter the academy right out of high school so I have been officially working in law enforcement since I was 19. About four years ago I decided to enter the FBI academy and after I graduated I was placed with a white-collar unit in Anchorage and then transferred to ATF and now the BAU." Hope started relaxing the more she began to speak. She was beginning to feel more in her element talking about what she loved to do. The team was once again impressed. Most of them had held other employment outside law enforcement, but Agent Bering had chosen to make this her life.

JJ was more interested in the new agents background. "Where did you grow up?" and "What do your parents do?"

"I was born and raised in Alaska. I grew up in two different parts of the state, Bethel in western Alaska and Valdez in south central Alaska. I am a small town girl, I admit and claim that title," she said proudly. "Another title I am proud to claim is 'pastor's kid'. My dad is the pastor in the family while my mom is a special education teacher. I am also the oldest; I have two younger brothers, Zach and Zeke."

Reid and Penelope were more interested in her hobbies and interests. Reid inquired whether or not she was a Doctor Who fan. When she replied in the affirmative they exchanged thoughts on favorite doctors and companions. (Reid favored the older doctors and their companions while Hope preferred the Tenth doctor and Donna Noble) "What do you do to relax?" this question came from Garcia. "I read, write, listen to music, or bake. It all really depends on what I feel like doing or circumstances surrounding the need to relax." The information gleaned so far by the team was enough to keep a conversation going for the rest of the evening. No one talked about work; there was enough time for that later. For now they just enjoyed getting to know Agent Bering better and she enjoyed learning about them. At the end of the evening the group parted, feeling more at ease then when they started and ending with the promise to see each other on Monday.


	3. Chapter 2

_**Sorry it has taken me so long to update. I had a bit of writer's block going for me. A special thank you goes to my beta reader crazykelly101. Check out her stories Here I Go and An Untraditional Love Story.**_

_**As always I don't own Criminal Minds or the characters, just Hope Bering….**_

It was definitely Monday.

Hope could tell it was Monday just by the fact she didn't want to get up…that and yesterday had been Sunday. It was also so ridiculously sunny outside that she was sure that they would be called out today. The past two weeks at the BAU had been relatively calm; they had just been doing consultations and paperwork. It wasn't that Hope wanted to have to go outside D.C., but it was a matter of the inevitable.

She was adjusting well. The first weeks had been full of learning the ropes; the ins and outs of how the office worked, doing profiles on paper, getting to see the team dynamics and where she fit in to that. She also had been doing a bunch of unpacking, which wasn't quite finished yet. These were just a few of the thoughts that ran through Hope's head as she got ready to go into the office. But before she could get out the door her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and smiled a little to herself before answering.

"Hey Pen," she greeted the TA.

"Hope, have you left home yet?"

"No, but I am on my way out."

"Ok, Hotch told me to call everyone and tell you that you are to go straight to the plane. We have a case in Idaho and he wants to get there ASAP," Garcia informed her.

_Knew it… _thought Hope to herself. "Will do, thanks Garcia."

"Alright… Hey Hope," Penelope interjected.

"Yeah,"

"Good luck."

Hope shut her phone and headed out to her car. Thankfully, she had thought a head to locate the air strip before they actually had a case so she knew her way. But as she pulled into the parking space, noting that she was the first one there, she decided that there was one person that she needed to call first. She punched 1 on her speed dial, hit send, and waited for the line to connect.

"Hello," greeted a groggy voice on the other end.

"Hey Dad, it's me," Hope started out. "Sorry to wake you up but I wanted to let you know I am going out on my first case and I would like for you to pray with me, for me and the team."

"Sure Princess," her father replied, his voice instantly brighter at hearing his daughter. He led her in a short, but heartfelt prayer, asking Jesus for protection and guidance for the team.

They ended their conversation just as Hotch, followed by Morgan pulled into the spaces next to her. She greeted her team members as she exited the car and followed them into the jet, carrying her go bag. JJ, Rossi, and Reid joined them not long after.

"Good morning everyone," Hotch began. "Thank you for getting here so quickly but we have a bit of way to go and we need to get to Idaho soon. There have been three house fires in Durant, all of them family homes, resulting in the deaths of three young girls. The families are seemingly unconnected and even though it is a small town the police are having difficulty pinpointing a suspect, which makes it difficult to carry out this investigation."

Hope looked at the file in front of her. All the homes were nice; two story buildings, located in different parts of town. She looked up as Hotch continued the briefing.

"The first fire happened four weeks ago, to the Harris family, David, Martha, and their two children Gwen, 7, and Jay, 6 months. David woke up to smoke filling up his and Martha's room on the lower level, Martha grabbed Jay and got out to the front while David went to try to get Gwen. Her room had already been filled with flames and there was no way to get to her in time." All the team winced at this; Hope couldn't even imagine the pain that Dad was feeling knowing that couldn't save his daughter. Hotch continued further, "This fire was followed by the James family two weeks later. Single father, Ryan, woke up to find his room similarly enveloped in smoke. He was able to get to his son Jacob in time and get his daughter, Sophie, out of her room but she died later from smoke inhalation. A week later, there was a fire set at the Royal's home where daughter Ann was babysitting her two younger brothers and a family friend. After getting them out of the house she went back in for her brother, Drew's, inhaler and didn't come back out." There was a slight pause as the team absorbed this information.

Derek was the first to speak up. "What do the local officers know?"

"The accelerant was regular gasoline," Hotch replied. "They are having a hard time figuring out how the unsub started the fires as none of the witnesses smelled gas."

"Most arsonists are just trying to get attention or prove a point," Rossi interjected. "Their aims usually don't coincide with murder, so why would these deaths be accidental?"

Hope took a careful look at the crime scene photos again. "The fires were deliberate, those girls were definitely targets."

"What makes you say that," asked Hotch?

"Well first of all, the windows to Gwen and Sophie's rooms are broken, as is the window to the front hall that stands next to the living room where Anna was watching those boys. My guess is the unsub used a Molotov cocktail to start the fires."

"That would make the most sense," Reid stated. "Containing the gas in a bottle which wouldn't ignite until impact would keep the families from smelling the gas, thereby preventing them from having any forewarning about the danger. It would also allow the unsub to pinpoint where he wanted the fire to start."

"But wouldn't the families have heard the glass breaking," Derek asked.

"Not necessarily," Hope replied, "especially if the members are heavy sleepers. That, and have you ever watched three young boys? It can get pretty noisy. Besides, a Molotov cocktail would create a quick burning fire, and there would have been enough fuel around the ignition point to keep the fires burning."

The rest of the flight continued in relative silence as the team continued to study the files. They soon landed in Durant and were met by the local Sherriff, Doug Adams. He greeted the BAU and updated them.

"I'm glad that you all are here," began Sherriff Adams. "We are still working on the Royal's home, and I can get you access to the first crime scenes as well as the current addresses for the families if you need to speak with them. Please tell me you can get this guy." His last words had a pleading note to them that Hope recognized as a cry for help. She wondered how many more of those cries she would hear today.

"We have means, now all we need is a motive. JJ and Reid go interview the families, Dave and Derek go to the most recent crime scene and Hope and I will go to the first two and speak with the lead investigators," Hotch instructed. "After that we will meet back at the station and start to work on finding connections and forming the profile."

The team broke up into their groups and Agent Bering began to focus more. It was hard when children were involved, most cops she knew would be flustered by that fact. It was the opposite for her, the fact that these attacks were focused on children made her want to find the unsub even more. As she and Hotch got closer to the first house she made a silent promise to herself that she would to her absolute best to find this guy before any other girls were hurt. _Strike that, no other girls will die this week, I put my life on it. _

_**Thanks for reading; remember to review! **_

_**Blessings-Hope'sFace**_


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